


Trust and Deception

by Silex



Category: Mesopotamian Mythology
Genre: F/F, Flash Fic, Mythology - Freeform, Retelling
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-21
Updated: 2020-02-21
Packaged: 2021-02-28 01:28:25
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 900
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22835545
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Silex/pseuds/Silex
Summary: Inanna had her own reasons for going to the underworld.Ninshubur had trusted her in that even if those reasons were hidden to her.
Relationships: Inanna/Ninshubur
Comments: 2
Kudos: 6
Collections: Chocolate Box - Round 5





	Trust and Deception

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Ruis](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ruis/gifts).



> I saw that you were requesting Mesopotamian Mythology and was getting ready to dust off the translation of _The Epic of Gilgamesh_ that I have sitting around. Then I saw who else you were requesting.

Inanna had her own reasons for going to the underworld, Ninshubur had trusted her in that even if those reasons were hidden to her. Inanna always had her reasons, though there were times that Ninshubur found them suspect. If Inanna said that she had gone to mourn with her sister, who was Ninshubur to question why her mistress dressed so grandly, a conquering queen rather than one sharing the weight of grief. Inanna had her reasons and Ninshubur trusted her, always.

Inanna had told her to wait three days before worrying that she might need saving, but that was an order Ninshubur found difficult to heed.

From the time Inanna left Ninshubur was filled with dread. Each moment of waiting agony, for none returned from the realm of the dead.

Ereshkigal, like her sister, was a jealous and fearsome monarch and, though Ninshubur trusted Inanna in a way that no other did, she worried over which sister possessed greater guile.

Inanna, vibrant, full of life and whimsy, prone to great rage and fits of passion was determined in whatever her intents were, but her sister was cool-headed and relentless when it suited her.

There was a trick, Ninshubur was sure of that, for Inanna could be duplicitous, though that was a side of her Ninshubur seldom saw.

Ninshubur was unique in that.

So she trusted Inanna and waited the full three days before seeking to petition the other gods for Inanna’s release.

Inanna had been so specific in who to go to, and the order in which to visit them, that Ninshubur saw it was part of her lady’s plan. It was a good plan, careful and well thought out.

Too much so.

Inanna had crafted it knowing that it would come to fruition.

Inanna had planned for the failure of her plan, which was not a failure at all, but only Ninshubur could see that.

Even if she could not see the actual plan through the trick.

It stung that Inanna had concealed that much from her, but it was Inanna’s nature to enjoy her deceits and Ninshubur wouldn’t have loved her so dearly if she were any other way.

It made sense that Enlil was first. If he agreed then there would have been no more to say on the matter.

So she went to Enlil to plead her case, that Inanna was innocent of whatever betrayal Ereshkigal had found her guilty of and Enlil listened, weighing that, while Ninshubur sincerely believed in her mistress’ innocence, that it was likely not so.

Next was Nanna, and while he too agreed that Inanna had done something to deserve her fate, he was willing to offer advice and warning, for he had his own dealings with the underworld and knew that if it came to it, Ninshubur would not be dissuaded in her task.

Then there was An, who respected Inanna greatly, but had reasons to refuse to help.

Good reasons, Ninshubur was willing to concede, reasons that meant that she would not have gone to him if not for Inanna’s orders.

Such orders were to be followed, not questioned.

Which was why she went to Enki last.

By then he had already heard of her plight and was moved to help her, not Inanna, but her. It was Ninshubur’s loyalty that he admired, her determination.

And so Ninshubur went to the underworld and was not surprised to see that Inanna was not alone amongst the dead, though in retellings of the story Ereshkigal, grievously wounded, was allowed some small measure of dignity.

Inanna had fought her sister, slain many of her servants and left Ereshkigal wounded as only a goddess could be, in the agony of death, but, by her station, unable to die.

Desperate and mad with pain, Ereshkigal had pleaded as Ninshubur had, for mercy, for compassion, for an end to the suffering.

She agreed to release Inanna and was, in turn, released from her pain.

In that moment Ninshubur caught some small glimpse of Inanna’s plan that terrified her.

Inanna had planned not just to fail, but to die.

There had been an instant where she had known that her fate was inevitable and she had made her death part of her plan.

If it hadn’t been so from the start.

Inanna praised Ninshubur for her loyalty, for following orders so well, and for mourning her, even if in the same breath she mocked her for the depth of her grief.

For of course Inanna had known that she would escape the underworld and that Ninshubur hadn’t needed to mourn her.

She laughed, even as they were pursued by Ereshkigal’s servants, demons that would follow them to the ends of the earth and beyond.

Ninshubur had been warned that a trade would be necessary and was fully willing to offer herself in Inanna’s place.

She stood alongside Inanna when her mistress faced down the demons, offering an exchange.

Ereshkigal demanded a high price, one Ninshubur was willing to pay.

She was sure that she would have to pay it, another victim of Inanna’s whimsy.

_I will give you my lover in my place._

Ninshubur had held Inanna tightly, bravely and then let go.

She wouldn’t beg, she wouldn’t plead.

She would accept her fate.

And then Inanna gave them Dumuzid.

_One less distraction_ , Inanna whispered to her, taking her in her arms and kissing her hair.


End file.
